The present invention relates to scanners and, more particularly, to a scanner installation program that, when executed by a computer, interactively guides a user through the steps involved in installing a scanner,
Scanners are quickly becoming common peripheral devices. They are now commonly employed in homes where they are used with personal computers (PCs) as well as in work environments where they are integrated into local area networks (LANs). Scanners optically scan objects such as documents containing text and/or images and convert the optical information into electrical information that is then digitized. The digital information may then be reproduced or manipulated for various purposes.
Currently, the only guidance that is provided to users to facilitate the scanner installation procedure is in the form of pamphlets or posters that contain textual instructions that instruct the user as to how to install the scanner. For the user to successfully use these instructions, the user typically must have good knowledge about the computer to which the scanner is to be connected and about the scanner itself, For example, PCs typically include a variety of interfaces and resources for supporting peripheral devices. The user must be aware of which interfaces are available and suitable for connection to the scanner. In addition, the user must be able to determine when a step in the installation process has been completed successfully. The user must typically rely on prior expertise or some type of verification test upon completion of the entire procedure.
Similarly, the user must know which interface of the scanner is suitable for connection to the PC. Many scanners today come with dual interfaces to enable them to be usable by a broad base of users. For example, the user may have parallel and universal serial bus (USB) interfaces, or USB and Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) interfaces. The user must have knowledge of these interfaces and determine which interface is most suitable for connection to the interface of the computer.
One of the disadvantages of using a non-interactive scanner installation guide, such as the aforementioned textual instructions, is that many users do not know what resources or interfaces are available on their computer, or which interface is the most appropriate to use for connection to the scanner. Similarly, when provided with multiple interface options on the scanner, many users do not know which interface is the most appropriate for connection to the computer. Also, the scanner installation process typically involves installation of various scanner programs. Therefore, the user typically must also have knowledge of which programs are already installed, which programs must be installed, which programs may be installed, and the amount of memory available and required for installation of these programs. Many users do not possess this type of knowledge.
Accordingly, a need exists for a tool that interactively guides the user through the scanner installation process.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for interactively guiding a user through a scanner installation procedure. When a scanner installation program is launched on a computer, the scanner installation program causes various screens having various options to be displayed to a user on a display device in communication with the computer. The screens provide the user with information that guides the user step-by-step through the scanner installation procedure. The scanner installation program automatically detects which I/O port(s) of the user""s computer are available for connection to the scanner and displays a message to the user indicating which I/O port(s) are available for connection to the scanner. The scanner installation program then provides the user with the option of seeing a visual demonstration of steps that need to be taken by the user in connecting the scanner to the available I/O port of the computer. The user is also provided with the option of printing out written instructions that list the steps that need to be taken in connecting the scanner to the available I/O port.
The scanner installation program also provides the user with options as to which scanning software packages are to be installed on the user""s computer. When the user selects scanning software packages to be installed on the computer, the amount of memory and time required for installation of each scanning software package is displayed to the user. The amount of memory that is available on the user""s computer for installation of the scanning software packages is also displayed to the user. Once the required software has been installed and the scanner is properly connected to the user""s computer, a message is displayed to the user that informs the user that the scanner appears to be properly connected and provides the user with instructions for obtaining additional information that will help the user use the scanner.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, drawings and claims.